NASA Yields To Shelby's Pressure

Congress Restores Funds for NASA Robotic Landers, Science (subscription)

“Angry U.S. lawmakers have come to the rescue of NASA’s robotic lunar lander program. NASA chief Michael Griffin had pledged to shut down the program to save money, but after strong pressure from both House and Senate members, the space agency has granted it a reprieve. The reversal, although welcomed by lunar researchers, puts more pressure on Griffin to pare other missions or win additional funding from Congress.”

Editor’s note: Word has it that they are celebrating at MSFC and that Tony Lavoie is being seen in public once again. When Congress (I.e. Sen. Shelby) starts to micromanage NASA to this extent, they totally compromise their credibility when they question why NASA manages other programs the way it does.

Aderholt worries NASA work at risk, Huntsville Times

“This situation is a disaster,” said George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society in Washington, D.C. “Griffin has been forced to cut a whole range of very valuable efforts. It’s not the NASA administrator’s fault. Griffin is just working with what he has been given.” Whitesides and other space experts fear that lack of money will mean future lunar exploration missions will take place over a few years, and not create a transportation network of rockets and bases that would allow continued trips to the moon.”

Lunar office staying at Marshall … for now, Huntsville Times

“A lunar probe office at Marshall Space Flight Center that had been scheduled to be relocated to NASA headquarters in Washington will remain open at Marshall while the space agency plan to move it is under review, a NASA spokesman said today.”